Esports

Every year, millions of gamers worldwide watch competitive video games, also known as eSports, via various live streaming video platforms. Live eSports tournaments have been known to pack Staples Center and sell out the Theater at Madison Square Garden, giving rise to the notion that eSports might actually soon be one of the top three sports in the world.

As CEO of Fifth Street Gaming, board member of GameCO (the company that has developed the world’s first video game slot machine) and board member of publicly traded Millennial eSports Seth Schorr and his team recognized eSports as somewhat undervalued territory given its potential global audience of over 1.4 billion people. The result of this realization?

Downtown Grand is now the official headquarters for eSports in Las Vegas and the world’s first 365 day a year eSports destination. Having developed an eSports lounge on the casino floor and a unique hospitality experience engineered with the eSports player and fan in mind, Downtown Grand is now uniquely positioned to cater to the eSports community. Downtown Grand has sponsored two professional eSports teams, held viewing parties for international events such as the Intel Extreme Masters, and in April 2016 hosted over 1,200 eSports fans at its rooftop pool experience, Citrus, for the NA LCS after party. In February 2016 Downtown Grand hosted the North American finals for World of Tanks – a title played by over 150,000,000 people worldwide. The culinary team at Downtown Grand has adjusted its food & beverage menu with the eSports community in mind and is even adding video game consoles in the pool cabanas.

With parties, daily eSports casual contests, in-room streaming and even an on-site training facility for eSports teams, Downtown Grand represents the Las Vegas destination for millions of gamers in this massive and growing community. The goal is not only to benefit from sheer marketability, but also to generate a stepping-stone for future eSports wagering.